Unexpected Journey
by J.Michelle93
Summary: Roman is one of the wealthiest and most eligible bachelors around. When he meets the woman who sees right through him, into the real him after trying to help her, will he go against society's standards and be the knight in shining armor to someone with a past that nobody has ever been told of?
1. Chapter 1

_**Where do we begin? **_

It was a warm spring night and a six-foot three Soman named Roman, was in his house with two of his best friends. Seth and Dean. Those three have been the best of friends since the day that Roman moved there a few years ago. Roman had long black hair and a tattoo showing his Soman pride, that covered his entire right arm and the right side of his chest. He had just finished having a party earlier in the night and the house had just been finished getting cleaned up when they heard thunder, followed by lightning.

When Roman looked out the window and saw the rain starting to pour down quickly after a few more rumbles of thunder. When he looked towards the front of the house, he saw a woman walk by with nothing but a small black bag and the clothes on her back. She had nothing to shield her from the rain and wind of the storm tonight it seemed. The woman had on a white shirt, beige cargo pants, and what looked like black boots.

"Why is she out there in this storm?" Asked Roman.

Seth and Dean looked out the window and saw who he was talking about as the guard that was in front of the house, stopped her. Roman put on a coat with a hat and quickly went outside to see if everything was okay.

"What's going on here?" He asked. When he looked up at the woman, he was mesmerised by her light grey eyes that were soft, yet hard and strong like steel with what looked like jet black hair.

"I'm sorry for the commotion, Sir." Said the woman standing in front of him. "I was just passing by. Sorry to bother you."

As she backed up to walk away, he called out for her. "Do you have anywhere to go tonight?"

She walked back up to him and stared a t him before responding. "Why?"

He thought carefully before responding. "I have a spare room that you could stay in tonight, if you need to. You don't have to be out in this storm."

Her eyes softened, yet she hesitated. "My name is Ruth, by the way."

Roman stepped back and nodded at the guard to open the gate. She hesitantly followed Roman up the stairs and into the brick home that he lived in. When she walked in, Ruth saw a chandelier in the middle, lighting up the place. A large staircase that lead you to the second floor and the crackle of a fire coming from what seemed to be the living room.

"This is Seth and Dean." Said Roman when the two guys walked towards them. "These two are like my brothers."

Ruth gave them a small smile and looked around, trying to avoid them seeing her starting to shiver from the cold that was now starting to creep unto her skin and body. Ruth's eyes stopped when she saw a lady standing by the kitchen, staring at her as if she'd seen a ghost. The woman had blonde hair and blue eyes and was a bit shorter than Ruth. Her blonde hair was tucked underneath her white bonnet, that matched her black apron and white dress.

Roman gently touched Ruth's arm and bought her attention back to what was going on. "I'll take you to the room you'll be in."

She followed him upstairs and continued to look around, curiously, as she saw four bedrooms with two of them having their own bathroom.

"My room is down the hall, if you need anything from me." He said as they walked up to the room that she would be in. The floors were wood and creaked in certain spots. The room was warmly lit up with a fireplace, and candles. The only windows there were the ones that were on the doors that led to the balcony. The balcony doors were lines with white drapes that were thick enough to not have anyone see from the outside in unless the lighting was right. The bed was large and with a canopy that had light, airy drapes tied to the posts that matched the gold color of the sheets and pillows that were neatly placed. The dresser was plain, but the material from which it was made of, wasn't. Ruth didn't know what the material was, but she knew it was more than what she was ever able to afford. A mirror that had delicate, yet beautiful designs on the outline of the mirror, made it look beautiful.

The bathroom was on the left side of the room and though it was small, it seemed huge to Ruth, who's childhood bedroom was the about the same size. It had a bathtub in the middle of the bathroom with a sink on the right side of the bathroom, next to the toilet. There was a fancy mirror that hung over the sink and a place for soap.

"If you need anything, just let me know." Said Roman.

Before Ruth could say anything, he walked out and closed the door behind him to give her some privacy. She looked around, feeling small and out of place. As if she didn't fit in here. She never did with people like Roman or his friends.

After taking a long, hot bath, Ruth dressed in a plain shirt and pants. She left her hair out to dry on its own and hung up her wet clothes. She opened the door and quietly walked around, trying to miss the spots on the floor that creaked, to avoid making any noises. When she heard noises coming from the kitchen downstairs, she made her way down and quietly made her way until she saw four people in the kitchen, cleaning up. Two men and two woman, one of whom was the woman who Ruth caught staring at her, earlier when she was with Roman.

"Is there anything left that I would be able to eat?" She asked.

Seeing how weak Ruth looked, they all tried to find something that she would be able to put into her stomach, to hold her for the night. Ruth was left with the same woman from before. But when she realized who this woman was, her face and her eyes softened.

"Ms. Anna...do you remember me?"

A smile and a feeling of relief washed over the woman as she took Ruth in for a long hug. "My precious, little Ruth. My how you've grown."

"I'm twenty-five now, Ms. Anna." Replied Ruth. "I'm not really a little girl anymore."

Anna smiled. "You certainly aren't. You look just like your mother."

_**The next day...**_

It was early the next morning and Ruth was already wide awake. She had gotten dressed with a grey shirt and black cargo pants that held a knife that she perfectly camouflaouged into them and black boots. Her long black hair was slicked back into a neat ponytail, and her clothes from last night that were soaked from the rain, were now dry and neatly folded her into her bag. After tidying up the room, she grabbed her bag and walked out. When she got downstairs, Anna tried to convince her to at least stay for breakfast. And so she did. After breakfast, and good conversation, Ruth picked up again to leave. Just as she was saying her goodbyes to Anna and her three new friends, Roman walked in through the front door.

"Where are you headed off too?" He asked Ruth.

She blinked a few times before responding. "I'm going to leave. But thank you for allowing me to stay last night."

"Maybe I can take you to your next location if it's not to far of a distance." Said Roman.

Ruth clearned her throat. "Thank you for the offer, but the thing is...I don't know where I'm going. I don't even know where I'll be tonight. It's just me, myself and I and it's been like that since I was twelve. I won't ever forget your kindness though."

Ruth walked out the door and closed it behind her. When she walked out through the gate, Roman came after her, wanting to talk to her some more.

"Why won't you let me help?" Asked Roman.

Ruth looked up at him. "Don't take any offense to this, but...do you care about what other people think of you, Roman?"

He looked at her. "What does that have to do with me wanting to help you?"

Ruth sighed. "You seem like a nice guy, Roman. You really do. But how many times have people with as much money as you or even more, have claimed that they would help people like me and every single time that they do, they never live up to their word...to their promise. It's people like them who make people with money look bad. It makes you look like you can't ever keep your word and it's left us not trusting any of you. Then there are those of you who care about what everybody thinks and says of you. If you're one of those people, how do I know that you're not going to kick me out when all of the negativity that you'll get for helping me gets to much for you to handle? How do I know that you'll keep me around because you like the positive attention you'll proabably get for helping someone like me instead of it being because you truly want me around? I'm thankful for the offer, but I want you to be genuine about wanting to help me. Not because of caring about what others think and say."

"I really want to help." Said Roman.

"I've lived this lifestyle for the last thirteen years." Said Ruth. "You're going to have to _show _me that you genuinly want to. If you do, then you'll find me. If not, then you can forget about me. I'm not going to be made into a fool for anybody."

Ruth took one last look at Roman and then at the house before turning away to leave. She walked away with her head held up high, but for the first time in the last thirteen years, she couldn't resist the temptaion to look back at the strong man that was still watching her leave. Roman wanted to go after her, but he couldn't get his feet to move. The question of if he would ever see Ruth again, with eyes that he knew he wouldn't ever be able to forget, ran through his mind over and over as if it was an episode on repeat in his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to NESSAANCALIME6913 and Reigns'Sweetheart for reviewing. **

**I do NOT own WWE, NXT, or any of the Superstars or Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. **

_**The Start Of Something New **_

"Roman, you haven't slept in two days. What's going on, man?" Asked Seth as they walked around the village to buy a few things.

Roman shook his head and brushed it off like it was nothing. "I'm fine. I just can't seem to fall asleep."

"You've been thinking about that girl that you allowed to stay the night a few days ago, aren't you?" Asked Seth.

"I just want to help her." Replied Roman. "What's wrong with wanting to help someone, Seth?"

Seth put his hands up in surrender. "I didn't say that anything was wrong with wanting to help. I think it's a good thing to help out others who need it. But where are we going to find her, Roman? She, herself, doesn't know where she's going to even spend the night. We sure as hell are going to have a whole lot of trouble trying to find someone who doesn't know where they're going to sleep at night, let alone where they're going to be within the next five minutes after leaving. Where are we going to even _start _to look for her?"

Roman didn't respond, knowing that Seth had a point, when it came to finding Ruth. But something inside of him knew that he just had to find her. No matter how long it took, he wanted to. Roman didn't want to seem like one of the bad guys, because he didn't percieve himself as one. He believed he was a good guy and he wanted to show Ruth that he meant what he said.

"Who's the new girl?" Asked Seth while Roman looked at some fruit that was on a stand, near the entrance to the village.

When Roman looked up to see what he was talking about, he followed Seth's gaze and saw a woman standing by where some clothing were being sold, helping out a customer. She had long black hair that was slicked back into a ponytail, a white shirt and grey pants, with grey boots that looked close to a charcoal color. When the customer paid for what they took, the woman looked back before going to the register and Roman knew the instant that he saw her, who it was.

"Ruth." Said Roman, quietly. "Those eyes are unforgettable, from the moment that you seem them."

Roman went to where she was and Seth followed, trying to get him to stop. "How are you planning on helping her out, by the way? How do you even know that she's going to accept your offer?"

"There's a thing called hope, Seth." Replied Roman when he looked back.

Ruth was looking through a book when Roman walked up to her and she never bothered to look up before talking. "I was starting to think that I wasn't going to see you again."

When she looked up, from the book and gave Roman a small smile.

"How did you know it was me?" Asked a surprised Roman.

She shrugged. "I saw you coming, so when I heard your footsteps, I assumed it was you."

"He wants to help you." Said Seth. "But you're hard to find."

"I know." Replied Ruth. "I don't really leave a trail and not a lot of people know me, let alone anything about me for the ones who at least know my name."

"When did you start working here?" Asked Roman.

Ruth thought for a moment. "Yesterday. It's only three cents a day though. The guys get paid more than us females. It's going to be a while before I'm able to afford my own place, but it's a start. It's better than nothing."

"Will you accept his help?" Asked an annoyed Seth. "Or are you going to keep your pride all high and mighty?"

Ruth's grey eyes turned cold and hard as she looked up at Seth. "Roman can speak for himself, he's a grown man. If you don't want to talk to me, you can go somewhere else to wait for him. I'm not going to force you to be around me."

Seth just looked at Roman and walked away, knowing that he wasn't going to leave without talking to Ruth.

"Roman...I really am poor." Said Ruth. "Are you sure you want to help me?"

Roman looked at her and saw that there was a story behind her eyes that seemed to be untold. A story that he wanted to find out.

"Yeah, I want to and I'm willing to help." He replied. "Now it's my turn to further my offer. If you want to accept my help, you'll have a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in at night and clean water, every day. You'll have warm food every morning and night, so you won't have to ever worry about going to bed hungry. Ruth, you'll have a place to call home, even if it's just for a while. It won't get snatched out from underneath you. And if you want to save up some money, you can have the opportunity to do so without spending all of your hard earned money."

Ruth's eyes lit up when he mentioned that it would be like a home for her. Yet, she hesitated to give him an answer. "I remember how to get to your house."

Roman looked at her for a moment before saying anything. "Then you can come over at any time. I'll be there."

He walked away, looking around for Seth. When he looked back, Roman's eyes pierced through Ruth's and he quickly disappeared in the crowd. Sitting back in her chair, she thought for a moment before the next customer came and took her back to reality.

When Ruth was done for the day, she went back to the small hut that she had sneaked into and stayed in for the last few days. It was literally a room with a small bed, a bath and toilet a few feet away with a sink. A small window was by the door and there was no place for her to cook or store her water to keep it cold. It was dimly lit by one candle and the floor was pure cement and cold. She kept her small bag close to her bed, knowing that anyone could come in because of the lock that wasn't working anymore since before she got there.

A few miles down the road, Roman was at home with Seth and Dean in the kitchen for dinner when Seth bought up what had happened earlier in the day with Ruth.

"You don't know anything about her and you trust her enough to let her stay here?" Asked Dean. "We've all heard of the stories of people like her stealing. Don't put yourself in that situation."

"Who knows if she'll even come." Added Seth. "It's dinner time and she's still not here."

Just then, there was knock on the front door, quieting everybody in the house, including the maids and butlers that were in the kitchen. When Roman went to answer the door, he saw Ruth standing in front of him. She had her bag with her and the same clothes and hairstyle that she had from earlier in the day.

"Is the offer still available?" She asked softly.

Roman smiled at her and stepped aside to let her in. She gave Seth a hard look when she walked into the dining room and heard him whisper something to Dean.

"Bite me." She snapped at Seth, making Dean laugh quietly.

"Dinner's ready." Said Roman as he walked in behind her.

"Can I put my bag somewhere?" She asked.

Roman nodded and took her to the room in where she stayed in the first and last time that she was here. After washing up for dinner, she came back downstairs and hated the sight of Seth at the moment. Ruth made her way into the kitchen and smiled when she saw Anna again. After fixing her own plate, she sat down at a small table in the kitchen and decided to eat with her and her three new friends who were named Emily, Albert and and Paul.

_**Later that night...**_

After Ruth bathed and got dressed for the night, she opened the door to the balcony. She sat outside on the small chair and let the soft wind blow through her hair. Roman quietly came in but stopped in his tracks when Ruth called his name.

"Do you have eyes in the back of your head?" He asked.

She smiled. "I heard your footsteps. The floor creaks in certain places, I knew it had to be someone's footsteps. Besides, I have good hearing."

"Is it okay if I sit with you?" Asked Roman as he pointed to a chair that was next to Ruth's. She nodded, giving him the okay to do so. "I thought you'd be sleeping by now. It's two in the morning."

She shrugged. "I'm not a great sleeper and when I do, it's very light. Sometimes I go days without sleeping."

"Aren't you tired as hell the next day?"

Ruth nodded. "I still can't find a way to fall asleep. It's been like that for a while, so I just got used to it."

There were a few minutes of silence before Roman started talking again. It was a bit of an akward silence, seeing as they knew nothing about each other. They didn't even know that the other existed until the last time that they saw each other a few days ago. "So tell me a bit about your life."

"Maybe another day." Replied Ruth. "I don't like it when people feel sorry for me when they hear about my life. At the end of the day, I'm the one that has to go through what's happened. Who's that girl by the way that I saw going into your room a few hours ago, I feel like I've seen her somewhere before. I saw her leave over an hour ago."

Roman rubbed his eyes before responding. "Her name is Victoria. Her and I were a thing a few years ago, before moving here from Pensacola. But her and I broke up and she just left without saying anything. I don't know where she went until her and I started talking again a few months after that."

"You've been in contact with each other ever since?"

Roman shrugged. "No...she left again about three months after that. She said that she was reborn and that God - or however it is that you want to call him, I don't know what your preference is when it comes to that...but she said that God showed her a sign that I wasn't the right guy for her. Victoria sent to me in a letter though, the night she was going to leave. So by the time that I was going to respond, she was gone."

Ruth looked at Roman and saw him looking down at the floor. "What's her reason for wanting to contact you this time?"

"I honestly don't know." Was all Roman could say. "But what I do know is that it brings back a lot of memories of us when we were together. What's your love story?"

Ruth chuckled. "If only I had one to tell. I had one guy though, but it didn't last long. He wanted to act single while I wanted a guy who would commit. I wasn't going to chase after him like a little puppy just because I liked him so much. That's not me...I want a guy to want to chase _me _instead of me having to do all of the work to keep him around."

The two of them continued to talk until the sun started to rise. That's when they realized that they haven't slept all night and they were okay with it. Ruth was starting to become comfortable with him and they realized that with what had just happened, they could start to become good friends. Or at least have the ability to get along just fine. And that was okay with the both of them. For now at least. This was the beginning of something new.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to NESSAANCALIME6913, 'Guest', and Reigns'Sweetheart for reviewing. **

**I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars or Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. **

_**Change **_

After helping out another customer at the shop that Ruth worked in, she looked up to see Victoria come into the village with a young gentleman who seemed to be about the same age as her. Victoria had long blonde hair that she had up in curls and the dress with best jewelry that money could buy. Vanessa walked up to me and looked as everyone smiled and talked to Victoria and her friend, as they walked by.

"They're engaged." Said Vanessa.

Ruth looked at her, surprised. "Engaged?"

Vanessa nodded. "They are like royalty when it comes to people like them. The two announced their engagement yesterday. But there's also a rumor going around that she has been hanging around some other guy."

Ruth immediately thought about Roman and the times that she had seen him with Victoria. "Does anybody know who this guy is?"

Vanessa shook her head. "Nobody seems to know. Word is also going around that her little fiancé doesn't know. Who knows if the rumors are even true about her being with another guy."

She wondered if Roman knew anything about any of this and knew that she had to tell him. Whether it hurt him or not. Roman had to know the truth. He deserved to know. So when Roman came to pick her up after she was done for the day, she found herself walking in front of him, thinking about how to form her words to tell him.

"Why do you keep checking your pants?" Asked Roman as he walked behind her.

When she realized what he was talking about, she turned around to face him. Ruth reached for the handle and what she took out was covered by a small cloth. When she unwrapped it, it showed a shiny blade.

"I made the handle and the cover for it myself." Explained Ruth. "I made it so that it can camouflage as perfect as it could into the pants. I have one for every pair of pants that I own and I always carry around with it. It's a habit and I always check my pants to make sure that it's still there. I sharpen the blade every two weeks, by the way."

Ruth put it back and started walking when she turned around. Roman walked up to her, and was about to ask what was wrong when Ruth interrupted him to start talking again. "I have something to tell you but I don't know if you already knew this or not, let alone if it's true. Either way, I still think you should know."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I saw Victoria today at the village and it's being said that she's engaged." Ruth told him without really looking into his eyes.

Roman stopped walking and just looked at Ruth. "What do you mean, 'engaged'?"

She swallowed before responding. "Everybody there was talking about when she came. It's said that the guy she was with is who she's engaged to be married to. There's also rumors going around that she may be doing something with another guy, but it's known who this other guy is. I just thought that with her being back in your life, you should know what's being said because it may affect you."

"She never said anything to me about an engagement, let alone another guy." Said Roman as he started to walk. "Are you sure?"

Ruth nodded. "That's what everybody is saying and she didn't deny it when somebody congratulated her on the engagement. Victoria just smiled and said 'thank you'. Whether it's true or not, if she knew that people were going to talk about it, she should have told you."

"I don't like being lied to and if she's lying to me, than I don't know what I'll do." Said Roman.

"Hey." Said Ruth as she stopped in front of him to face him. "Don't beat yourself up about it. I thought you were over her."

Roman sighed. "I am, but having her back, just brings back all of those memories that I thought I had forgotten about. Good and bad."

"Then you need to talk to her about it." Suggested Ruth. "You'll never know for sure unless Victoria tells you herself."

Just like clockwork, Victoria showed up at Roman's doorstep later that night. When he answered the door, he wasn't in much of a mood to do much talking as he let her in.

"Is it true?" He asked her without giving her a chance to sit down. When Victoria looked at him with a puzzled look on her face, he continued. "You're engaged and people are starting to wonder about this mystery guy that you've been with. What's going on, Victoria?"

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at Roman surprised. "Where did you hear that?"

"It doesn't matter where I heard it from." Replied Roman. "The fact that I had to hear it from somebody else instead of you is what has me upset. I don't even know why I should be upset. It's been years since you and I have been together. Just tell me the truth."

Victoria looked at him and sighed. "Yes, it's true. We announced our engagement last night to friends and family."

"Who's this other guy that's being spoken of?"

She hestitated before responding. "It's you. But nobody knows that you're the other guy."

Roman ran his hand through his hair and paced back and forth, quietly. "If it gets out that it's me, let alone that there's another guy, you know what that could do to you and your possibly, your family. It could embarass you."

"But nobody knows." Pleaded Victoria.

"That's not going to stop people from talking, Victoria." Roman replied. "How do you know that they're not going to find out and that's not going to get back to your family and to your fiance if it hasn't gotten to them already. I'm not going to screw anybody over just because you didn't want to tell me the truth."

Victoria nearly threw a tantrum. "I'm sorry, Roman! I didn't tell you because I didn't want to ruin anything that could happen between you and I. All of the things that happened between you and I...I could never forget and I just don't want to let you go."

"You should have thought about that before you decided to come back into my life." Said Roman. "I'm not going to have relationships with a woman who's set to be married. I don't do that. Yeah, I agree that when we were good, we were great. But let's face it, Victoria...there's too much bad between us to think that there's anything worth trying to save."

Her jaw dropped. "You're not saying what I think you're saying, are you?"

Roman looked down at the floor as he blinked a few times before responding. "We can't continue whatever this is that we have going on right now. You're engaged to someone and I can't take that away from you for wanting to be selfish. Victoria, I've done it before...not thinking about you anymore and feeling content that maybe we weren't meant for each other. I'll be okay with it this time around, as well. You'll walk away and leave me again, and I'll be okay with it."

"Is it because of that new girl that's walking around here?" Asked Victoria.

"She has nothing to do with this." Replied Roman. "We're just friends."

Victoria grabbed her things and walked back out the door. "Have a good life, Roman."

When the door closed, Roman turned around and faced it. "You too, Victoria."


	4. Chapter 4

**I do NOT own WWE, NXT, or any of the Superstars or Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. **

**Thank you to Reigns' Sweetheart and 'Guest' for reviewing.**

"I thought you'd be at work today." Said Roman as he walked up to Ruth. She was cutting down some wood and putting it to the side for when she was done.

She looked up at Roman before responding. "I had the day off."

"Here, let me help you." Said Roman as he was about to grab the axe from her to do the rest.

Ruth pulled back a bit and smiled. "Thank you, but it's okay. I got it, I'm almost done."

"Okay, then I'll help take these back to the house." Suggested Roman. "It's a lot more than what I usually take."

Ruth smiled. "Roman, it's okay. I have it under control. You always do it, and I wanna try to do something around here...well more than what I already try to do. Besides, this could last us at least a month before we have to come and get more and the wood is really good. It may be able to last a little longer at night."

Roman sighed. "Ruth, just go inside."

She looked at him seriously. "Why? I was just trying to help out around here."

"I don't need help around here, Ruth." Snapped Roman.

Ruth scoffed. "Then why do you keep the maids and butlers if you can do everything yourself?"

"Ruth, don't give me that." Said Roman. "Just go back inside, I'll do this myself."

"But..."

Roman interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. "Ruth...go back to the house."

Ruth swinged the axe until she got it deep into the tree trunk. Wiping her hands on her pants, she walked up to Roman and looked up at him. "You've had a stick so damn far up your ass for the past few weeks after telling Victoria to leave. Let me know when you take it back out and return to normal."

"I didn't want her to leave!" Exclaimed Roman.

"Then why did you tell her too?" Asked Ruth.

Roman looked around before answering. "If you didn't tell me about what was being said, it never would have happened."

Ruth looked at him like he was the craziest person on the planet at this moment. "Forgive me for wanting to be a good friend to you, Roman. But you deserved to know,whether it was true or not. If she wasn't going to tell you, then who was? Eventually you were going to hear it from someone, no matter who it was from. I'm sorry for caring enough about you to tell you something that you deserved to know."

She started to walk away when she felt Roman's hand on her arm. Ruth quickly took out the knife that was perfectly hidden in her pants and held it up to Roman's neck, making him stop in his tracks and put his hands up in quick surrender.

"When you realize that I was just trying to help because of how much I have grown to care about you..." Stated Ruth. "...come talk to me. Until then, I don't want to hear it, Roman. Any of it. I'm done caring about people and have them not appreciate it because something didn't work out for them or something didn't go the way they wanted it to. I've been through too much shit in my life for this, Roman. You're obviously still upset about hte situation and I get that, but figure out what you want...someone who cares about you and who tries to be a good friend, or someone who doesn't give a shit and prefers to see you get hurt, time and time again."

Ruth put her knife away and continued to walk away. He was surprised that she was brave enough to pull out a knife on him the way that she did, let alone at all. Roman threw the piece of wood that he picked up, against the tree that the axe was in and watched it tumble to the ground.

When Ruth got back to the house, she went to get some water and left again to go out for a walk. She saw the clouds starting to form and thicken as it darkened and knew that it was about to start raining at any moment, but she didn't care. Ruth just wanted to be out and away from everyone. To get a breather and to just be by herself for once since coming back to Roman's.

"Why do you keep walking away?" Asked a voice from behind Ruth.

She calmly turned around to see Dean standing behind her. "I'm not walking away from anything. You don't even know the situation."

Dean had been the one out of the three musketeers, as Ruth likes to call them, that gave her the least problems. She argued with him less and kept her cool a lot more easily with him.

"If it's about Roman, I know the situation." Replied Dean. "He's been an asshole since the whole incident with Victoria, I'll admit that. But you were just trying to warn him."

"Then why doesn't he see that?" Asked Ruth. "Because if it was you or Seth that told him about it, I bet you he wouldn't have had a stick so far up his ass."

Dean shrugged. "I can't answer that for you. But what I can say, is to not walk away. Not from him."

Ruth sighed. "I wasn't planning on it because I'm not going to...I don't want to. But I just don't feel like my efforts in anything that I've done the last few weeks have been appreciated, no matter how hard I've tried. Dean, I've been working my ass off to find a way to pay him back for being kind to me and helping me as much as he has and nothing I do seems to work. Does he want money, as if he dosen't have enough of it? I don't do this stuff...the whole working with someone and constantly being around people and them wanting to talk about feelings and whatnot. I'm used to being by myself and being independent all the time. It feels good knowing that you don't need to depend on someone to have things done, to do things on your own and being able to rely on yourself. Dean, it feels good not having to answer to anyone and doing things your way without anyone there to correct you all the time because they think it's wrong. You don't have to entertain anybody else being on your own."

He walked up to Ruth and held her shoulders. "It's not just you anymore, Ruth. You have Roman, Ms. Anna...me. You have to try, no matter how hard it is for you. I know from experience that sometimes it's good to have someone there for you. Someone that you can lean on when you need them. It's hard being alone all the time and it's not always fun."

Thunder started to rumble as lightning followed shortly after. "I know you have a thing for rain, but we're not letting you get sick because you like it so much."

"Why does he like Victoria so much, by the way?" Ruth asked quietly.

Dean took a moment before answering as they walekd back to Roman's house. "He doesn't. I just think he was just holding on to those memories that he had with her and he didn't want to let them go. Besides, I personally believe that Victoria is not his type. He needs someone who's more like you."

Ruth looked at Dean when she realized what he had said and shook it off like it was nothing. "Like Roman would ever be interested in someone like me. Especially with today's image of how women should be."

When we got to Roman's house, I walked in after Dean continued going back to his house which wasn't too far from Roman's. When he and Ruth saw each other, she ran her hands through her hair and continued to walk up the stairs, and to her room. After dinner and a hot bath, Ruth sat in front of the fire that was burning in her room. Roman walked up to her doorway and saw her sitting on the floor, in front of the fire. Her long hair cascaded down her back as she rested her head on her knees.

"Ruth?" Roman gently said.

He heard her sniffle before responding. "Yeah?"

Roman sat down next to her on the floor, and looked at her until her steel grey eyes looked up at him.

"I wanted to say that I was sorry." Said Roman. "For earlier. I didn't mean to make you think that I didn't appreciate what you were trying to do for me or that I didn't care."

Ruth looked down and played with her feet. "I just...I thought I was doing the right thing by telling you. I didn't think you'd turn into an asshole because of it."

Roman sighed. "I was more embarrased than angry. Yeah, I was upset because she didn't tell me anything until I confronted her about it. But I was later embarrased because I felt as if I looked like a fool in front of you."

"Why would you look like a fool to me?" Asked Ruth.

Roman looked at her before responding. "Because I care about what you think and I care about how I look in your eyes. Don't tell me that what you think about me or anything or anyone else isn't important, because it's important to _me_."

Ruth looked up at him before saying anything else. "I like being independent. I like being by myself...there's nobody to tell me what to do. I don't have to depend on others and I like it because I don't have to be let down by anyone. That's why I always try to do things on my own and I always go out for a walk by myself. I'm starting to think that Seth was right about the whole pride thing. I can't seem to swallow my pride to ask for help."

"Don't listen to Seth." Replied Roman. "He doesn't know you like I do to be saying things about you."

"But you don't know much about me either, other than what I've told you." Said Ruth. "I haven't said much about my life, as a matter of fact. It makes what I've been through seem more real than what it already is."

Roman looked at her in a way that he never has before since the day they met. "Do you run away from your problems?"

Ruth looked at him. "No...I wouldn't have survived the last thirteen years if I did."

"Will I ever know anything about your life?" He asked.

She nodded. "Some day you will. Don't take that as a no."

Roman smiled. "Does this mean I get back the friend who cares about me?"

"Why do you want me around?" Asked Ruth.

He looked into her eyes and saw a softness to them that he has never seen. "I don't accept nothing out of it, sweetheart. I just want to help, but you have to allow me to help you out."

"Giving me a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in, with food and clean water everyday, is enough help." Replied Ruth. "I can do everything else by myself."

Roman looked at the fire. "Ruth...please allow me to help you more than what you think I can. It's okay to ask for help, and to accept it. Be my date tomorrow night for the ball that we're having in the next town. It'll be fun. You can meet some new people and have a good time."

"I have nothing to wear, Roman." Said Ruth. "Nothing that I can afoord anyways. Besides, I don't fit in with them and I don't always like big crowds."

"But you fit in just fine with _me_, right?" He asked. "You get along with me just fine. If it makes you feel any better or more comfortable, you can stay by my side all night. Right next to your friend who cares about you too."

Ruth's steel grey eyes looked up into his with a sparkle in her eye. She couldn't believe that she was even considering it a possibility to go.


	5. Chapter 5

**I do NOT own WWE, NXT, or any of the Superstars or Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. **

_**New feelings **_

"She's not going to come." Said Seth as they all waited for Ruth. Dean and Seth were already there with their dates. "You should have picked somebody who's worth it. A woman who's going to make you look good in front of everybody."

"Make who look good in front of everybody?" Asked a voice from behind.

When they all looked back, they saw Ruth making her way down the stairs in a royal blue dress that had a sweetheart neck line. The dress was lined with black lace and had a bit of a train, making Ruth look tall and elegant as she stood up straight as she always did. She wore blue diamond earrings, a blue diamond necklace and a bracelet filled with diamonds. Her long jet black hair was pulled up into an elegant bun, showing her face and her eyes. Ruth's sunkissed skin was flawless as she walked past Seth and made her way to Roman with a shaul in one hand and a small purse in another. The way Roman looked at her, told another story. He was wearing a black suit with a blue tie while his hair was pulled back into a small bun of his own.

"Is this okay?" asked Ruth. "I really like blue."

Roman didn't look anywhere else except for her eyes. "It looks perfect."

Ruth looked at him and felt her skin grow warm. She slowly smiled when Roman looked away and caught him looking again when she looked back up.

"Come on, lovebirds." Seth chimed in. "We have somewhere to be."

Ruth made a face and literally bit her tounge to not say anything. She heard Roman chuckle as he walked behind her. When they got to the place in which they were going to, Ruth looked in awe as she saw the house that the ball was going to be in. To her, it looked like a palace that she had only dreamed of as a little girl.

It looked bigger than Roman's house and more extravegant. The outside of the house was stone and bricks, kind of like Roman's. When they walked inside, Ruth didn't leave his side as they made their way near the guards that were standing by the doors. The floors were all of marble and were spotless. There were already tons of people there talking and drinking wine.

"Would you like a drink?" Asked a man who was walking around serving the guests.

Roman took one for himself, as did Dean and Seth with their dates while Ruth turned it down. As Dean and Seth departed from us to go on their own and make conversation with others, Ruth and Roman made their way through the crowd as she looked around feeling out of place.

"Look who we have here." Said an older gentleman with a beautiful woman by his side. He had grey eyes that were darker than Ruth's and had a beard with short hair. It had hints of grey in them, but it did not keep him from looking attractive to Ruth. "Mr. Reigns, how are you?"

Roman and the man shook hands before he greeted the woman who turned out to be his wife.

"Mr. Turner, I'm great." He replied. "I'm glad to see you two doing well."

"Who is this beautiful, young lady that you have by your side?" Asked Mr. Turner who had a deep baritone voice.

Ruth smiled up at him while Roman spoke. "This is Ruth Gates and it's her first time here."

As Mr. Turner looked at Ruth, his face turned into one of amazement as if he realized something. "You look just like your mother."

Her face dropped and turned into stone as she blinked a few times. "You knew my mother?" She saw Roman move towards her and Ruth held her hand against his arm. "I'm sorry, but I don't know you. I don't remember her ever mentioning a Mr. Turner."

His wife was called by what looked like one of her friends, and she went off to start a conversation of her own with the woman who called her.

"I knew her very well." He replied. "She was pregnant. I didn't know it was a little girl until I tried to see her after she gave birth. I knew I would remember those eyes from the moment I saw them. How is she by the way?"

"I don't know." Ruth said in a strong voice but then ended up in a whisper. "She died when I was ten." Roman's eyes immediately went to Ruth whose grey eyes turned back into steel as she started to look around. He was surprised when he heard her speak of her mother for the first time since they met.

Mr. Turner's face turned white as if he saw a ghost. "What...what happened?"

"Excuse me. I need some fresh air, I'm sorry." Said Ruth as she cleared her throat and walked away.

Roman excused himself and went after Ruth. "Hey..."

"Don't, Roman." Said Ruth as she turned around to face him once they were outside. "I'm not going to ruin this night for you. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay. I'll go back in a few minutes. Go have a good time with everyone."

"Damn it, Ruth, don't push me away!" Exlcaimed Roman. "Everytime we move forward and I get the opportunity to know more about you, you push me away. Ruth, you put up a wall and you never show emotion when you do as if nothing happened. For once, why don't you just trust me enough to tell me what's going on?! Stop pushing me away...stop pushing everybody away!"

Ruth looked up at him and blinked a few times before looking around to see Dean standing behind them.

"I'm sorry for raising my voice." Said Roman in a soft voice. "I didn't mean to. I just want you to open up to me."

Noticing that Roman hasn't realized that he was still standing there, Dean spoke to get his attention. "You heard what she said. Come back inside."

"Dean, this has nothing to do with you." Replied Roman.

He looked at Roman seriously and walked towards us. Ruth left them to go back inside and didn't look back.

"Roman, you can't force someone to tell you about their past, especially if their not budging." Said Dean in a quiet voice.

He sighed. "I just want her to trust me."

"And she does." Replied Dean. "Or else she wouldn't have stuck around for as long as she has. But you can't force Ruth to do something that she may not be ready to do. Tell me this...is it better for her to tell you because she genuinly wants to from trusting you or because you forced it out of her from not wanting to be patient?"

Roman looked at him knowing the answer without hesitation. "She's so hard to hold."

Dean nodded. "I know. But I wouldn't change anything about her. It's part of what makes Ruth who she is. She's rough around the edges, but she's strong and independent. You'll have a conversation with her and see how crazy intelligent she is and how nice of a person she can be underneath that tough exterior. But she's also private about her life and we have to respect that."

"When did you become a therapist?" Asked Roman as he chuckled.

Dean smiled and shrugged. "I know I'm crazy, I have enough in me for the two of us. But it doesn't mean I'm stupid or that I don't pay attention to things. I know and understand a lot more than what people think I do. I just don't always say anything. Ruth is special though, I can see it in your eyes. The way you look at her lately is undeniable. Respect her just like she tries to respect you. Now let's go back in before we lose her."

When they went back into the house, it wasn't long before they were able to find Ruth. She was looking around as she walked and hadn't noticed Roman and Dean when they walked back in. Ruth immediately turned around just as Roman got close enough to reach his hand out to her.

"Would you like to dance?" Asked Roman.

She raised an eyebrow and was about to protest but didn't and took his hand with a smile. "If I step on your feet, I am truly sorry."

Roman smiled and wrapped an arm around her as the other grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry about your mom and for how I reacted out there." He whispered in her ear.

Ruth nodded slightly and lowered her just so that only her eyes would be seen from the other side of Roman's shoulder.

"I miss her." Said Ruth, barely above a whisper. "And I wish she was here."

She rested her head on Roman's shoulder and stayed quiet for the rest of the night. Ruth tried to make an effort to start conversations with people and Roman was proud of her for trying. When they got home, two guys that Roman knew came with them for a talk while Ruth went upstairs to get undressed. Anna went up with her to help.

"I don't want to get out of this dress." Said Ruth when she got to her room. "I feel like a princess."

Anna smiled up at her. "You always wanted to be a princess when you were little. And now you got to be one for a night."

Ruth gave her a smile and undid her hair, letting it cascade into waves down her back. After taking her shoes off, Ruth stood back up and and almost fell back down. Luckily Anna was there to help catch her balance before Ruth reached the floor. When Anna saw that Ruth's breathing had changed, she got Ruth to sit down on the bed.

"Ruth, what's wrong?" Asked Anna.

She stayed there for a moment before responding. "I don't know. I just felt dizzy when I got up and lost my balance."

"Let's get you out of this dress and into more comfortable clothes." Said Anna.

After quickly helping Ruth into comfortable clothes, Ruth started to walk towards the doors to te balcony to open them for some fresh air. But before she could reach them, she fell and with a thud.

"Ruth!" Exclaimed Anna as she quickly ran to her side. "Ruth! Wake up!"

She ran out of the room and downstairs into the living room, yelling for Roman. When he heard her, he quickly got up to see what was going on.

"It's Ruth." Said Anna. "She fell and she won't wake up. I don't know what's wrong with her!"

Before Anna could say anything else, Roman ran past her and up the stairs to Ruth's room. Kneeling down on the floor next to her, he grabbed Ruth's face with his hands and stroked her cheeks.

"Come on, Ruth. Please wake up." Pleaded Roman. "Ruth, wake up!"

"Roman, let us see her." Said one of the two men who came into the room. Luckily, they were both physicians and even though they were off for the night, they were still willing to help.

He lifted Ruth up off the floor and took her into his arms. Her arm flopped down and she turned pale as he laid her down on her bed. They checked her eyes and were beginning to check her vitals as Anna tried to keep Roman at a safe distance to allow the doctors to do their job.

"What's wrong with her?" Asked Roman as he started to pace around the room.

"Roman, please if you're not going to stay still, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room to allow us to check her." Said Adam Marshall who has been a physician for the last twenty years. He was a tall man, but shorter than Roman. He was fair skin with blue eyes and blonde hair. The man was fit and as healthy as can be and always took good care of himself.

While he went to go get his bag that he always carried with him in case of an emergency, the other physician stayed to keep checking on Ruth. His name was Benjamin Martin. He had brown hair and green eyes and was about the same height as Roman. He has been a physician for about the same amount of time as Mr. Marshall and they have been friends since college.

"Does she have any allergies?" He asked.

Roman was in such a panic that he didn't even hear what Mr. Martin had asked him until Anna chimed in to answer.

"No she doesn't." She replied.

Mr. Martin looked up at Roman and walked up to him. "Mr. Reigns, if you want to help us out...if you want to help _her _get better, then you need to answer our questions. We don't have her medical history to see what she's been through health wise and we don't know who her previous doctors have been. Is Ruth on any medications or have any medical conditions that we need to be aware of?"

Roman thought for a moment as he got the craziness in his head together to form a sentence. "No, to both questions."

"How has she been in the days leading up to tonight?" He asked.

Roman thought again and startred to let his mind race again as he looked at Ruth laying motionless on her bed. "She's been fine. Ruth's been her normal self. She's never complained about anything, but then again, she rarely ever complains."

"Has she ever been out of breath?" Asked Mr. Marshall when he came back into the room.

They all looked at Roman to answer. "No. As far as I know, she's one of the healthiest people I've ever met. Now can you go help her out instead of all of us standing here just looking at each other for answers and please tell me what is going on with her?!"

While they turned their attention back to Ruth, Anna put her attention to Roman who started pacing back and forth again.

"Roman, you put enough trust in me to tell you things." Whispered Anna. "Now trust me enough to tell you that we need to give them space to care for her."

He looked at her like she was crazy. "I'm not leaving Ruth until I know what's wrong with her. She looked fine all night."

"And they're eventually going to ask you to leave." Said Anna. "Roman, please. We've done the best we can do for now. Let's allow them to do their part."

Roman looked over at Ruth while the two physicians continued to check on her. For the first time since the day that they met, he felt something for her that he's never felt for Ruth before. He looked at her at this strong woman who seemed like nothing could take her down, and now all he wanted to do as he watched her lay there without moving, was take care of her and protect her.

He left quietly and walked around, rubbing his face in his hands while he waited. They took so long with Ruth, that he thought they would never finish until they came out of her room over an hour later, and saw a shirtless Roman sitting on the floor with his hair in a mess after taking it out of his bun.

"How is she?" Roman quickly asked while getting up.

Mr. Martin sighed. "Well, after much testing and observation...exhaustion. Ms. Ruth is just exhausted and her body is getting worn down."

"Is she going to be okay though?" He asked.

Mr. Marshall was the one to respond this time. "She'll be fine. Ruth just needs to rest and stay hydrated. Any longer and we would have had to add dehydration to the list. But exhaution can be a serious thing. Is there anything that she did that could have made her this exhausted?"

Roman thought for a moment. "There's days when Ruth can't sleep. And when she does, she's a very light sleeper and so she ends up waking up very early in the day. Earlier than me. But like I said before, she rarely ever complains about anything. If something was wrong with her, we weren't able to pick it up."

"Make sure she gets rest and that she sleeps." Said Mr. Marshall, putting emphasis on the word, 'sleep'. "With the level of exhaustion that she has, it's as if she hasn't slept in a week because of it is. The good thing about this is that she's as healthy as can be. She's got a strong heart."

After they left, Roman went back up to Ruth's room and sat at the edge of her bed. "Please be okay. I don't want to lose you, too."


	6. Chapter 6

**I do NOT own WWE, NXT, or any of the Superstars or Divas from either roster that may appear in this story.**

**Thank you to justkimmy for reviewing :) **

_**The Truth Behind Her Eyes **_

Tje mext day went by and Ruth had yet to wake up. Roman would check on her every half an hour before and after work to make sure that she was okay. Anna taught him how to check for her pulse and he would every time he would see Ruth and would feel her heart beating normally and strong. The doctor was right. Ruth has a strong heart and it was steady. It gave me hope that she wouldn't give up and that she'd be okay.

When Roman heard the door downstairs, he went to see who it was and it was Seth and Dean walking through the door. After greeting each other, Dean started asking for Ruth.

"The doctor said that Ruth will be fine. Her body is probably just wearing down from the little amount of rest that she gets." Replied Roman.

"Ruth barely sleeps though." Said Dean.

Roman nodded. "That's what I was thinking. But how can we get her to sleep? Ruth sleeps and then she wakes up like two hours before you do and she can't fall asleep until late and I mean _really _late."

"That's on her though." Said Seth. "Ruth knows she needs to be getting rest and she doesn't. She bought that on herself."

Roman and Dean sighed. "Seth, don't start." Said Dean.

"What?" Asked Seth. "I'm just saying..."

"No, Seth." Roman interrupted. "You haven't liked her since the first day you met her."

Seth looked at both of them in disbelif. "Roman, she doesn't belong in our world. That's the reality of the world in which we live in."

"Seth, that doesn't matter." Said Dean.

"Yes, it does." He replied. "I'm not trying to be hurtful, Roman. But that's the truth and you know it. People like her don't belong in our world. People will eat her up if she's not strong enough to put up with the way that our society is, let alone keep up with it if she does. Roman, you're setting yourself up to get hurt with how much you care about Ruth."

Roman couldn't believe it. He understood that Seth was just trying to be honest, but he couldn't believe that Seth actually believed all of these things that were being said.

"There's nothing wrong with him caring about her, Seth." Said Dean before Roman could gather the words to say anything.

Seth sighed. "Roman, I'm just coming at you with this as a brother. The day is going to come when Ruth is going to leave to have her own place. What are you going to do when she leaves, and what will happen when she does? I'm not saying these things because of how I feel about her. I'm saying it because it's the truth and a dose of reality."

"I care too much about her to just give up on her because of how our people are." Said Roman. "I understand your concern, but I can't help how I feel about her just because of how our society is, especially towards people like her. Ever since Ruth got here, she's been proving everybody wrong. She needs people who won't give up on her and I'm going to make sure that I'm one of those people. If Ruth goes, then she goes. But at least she'll walk away knowing that there's people out there who _are _good and that are willing to help."

The night came and went, and there was still no sign of Ruth waking up anytime soon. Roman would talk to her, even though he wasn't sure if she would hear him or not. The next morning, he got ready to go out for a walk when Anna walked down the stairs to catch up to him.

"I have some good news." She said with a smile on her face. "Ruth woke up not to long after you left her room. She'll be down shortly."

Roman couldn't explain the feeling that he had, knowing that Ruth finally woke up. His heart began to race, as he waited for her to come down and couldn't take his eyes off of her when she finally did. Ruth had her hair put into a long braid and wore the dress that long, dark blue dress that he had left for her last night. She wore Roman sandles and a bracelet with a small snake engraved into it.

Her grey eyes were getting back to normal as she looked up at him, after reaching the bottom of the stairs and surprisingly hugged him. Roman's arms automatically wrapped around her for a hug that lasted a little bit too long. He cleared his throat when he pulled back but couldn't help but smile down at her.

"It's good to see you up and walking. You had us worried there for a while." Roman told her softly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. It just happened." Replied Ruth.

"I know." Said Roman. "I'm just glad you're okay."

For the first time ever in her life, Ruth felt butterflies in her stomach and when she looked up at Roman, she saw him differently. "Thank you for the dress and I liked hearing about your day yesterday."

Roman looked at her in surprise. "You heard what I said?"

She nodded. "There were times where I couldn't hear. I don't know if it was because you stopped talking or if it was because I was in and out of deep sleep. That's something new for me though. I've been a light sleeper since I was ten."

Roman smiled at her again and cupped her chin. "I remembered you saying that you liked blue, by the way. I've also seen you looking at the dress a few times when I've come to pick you up from work. So I thought it'd be a nice present. You deserve it."

Ruth grinned up at him and the chemistry was suddenly broken when they heard someone clear their throat. When they looked, they saw that it was Anna standing behind them.

"We're gonna go now...to lunch..." Said Roman in between pauses. Ruth grabbed on to his arm and followed him out of the house, quickly.

_**Later that day...**_

Dean and Roman were out walking around, after making sure that Ruth was back home and okay. There were a string of rain storms that were heading their way for the next few days and Dean wanted to get back home before the rain began. Niether one of them have heard from Seth, since yesterday and they thought that it would be a good idea for them to get a breather and allow things to cool off for a bit.

Ruth had just sat down on the swing that was set up on the porch and greeted Dean as he passed by on his way back home. Roman sat down next to her and looked out into the openness that was in front of this house. The trees, the sounds of birds chirping away and quietness that surrounded it.

"I don't know who my dad is." Said Ruth softly as the silence filled the surrounding area.

Roman looked at her. "You never met him?"

She shook her head. "He left before I was born and he never came around. If he did, I never about it. I don't know what he looks like and, hell, I don't even know his name. My mom never talked about him and I only asked once. All she would say was that he was a good man but he never took responsibility for things. I never asked again. But it was hard because I saw all of my friends with both of their parents, and I just had one. But my mother taught me how to be strong and to work hard to make your dreams come true."

"I can see that in you." Said Roman. "That part of you that works hard all the time."

Ruth smiled as she looked down at her hands. "When I was ten years old, I was getting ready for bed and my mom was going to read me a story like she always did. We heard a noise coming from the kitchen and my mom told me to stay in bed while she went to check. I hid under the covers while she did and I heard her talking but I couldn't make out everything that she said. She started screaming, so I tried to peak through the opening in the door to see what was happening. It was a man who I guess was trying to steal something and to make sure she didn't say a thing about it to anyone being that she saw his face, he strangled her until she stopped moving. He paniced and ran out of the house and into the night. I remember screaming at the top of my lungs because she wasn't moving and I didn't really understand why. I thought maybe she was just unconscious. But I kept screaming and screaming until Ms. Anna came. Her and my mom were best friends and so after my mom's funeral, I lived with her until I was twelve."

"What happened when you were twelve?" Asked Roman, being careful to not push Ruth into saying something.

"There was a fire in the area that we all lived in." She replied.__"We got seperated in the chaos and I've been homeless ever since. I was never able to find her after the fire and so I thought she had died. I got the little bit of belongings that I had left and I sneaked into school and made that my home until the day that I finished school. I would make believe that I was going home, and when everybody was gone, I'd go back and stay there. After school, I got myself together and made my way towards wherever my feet would lead to."

Roman sat closer to her and touched her hand. She gave a small smile when she felt the warmth between their hands. "That's when I stopped showing emotion. I didn't want anyone to know what was going on or why and I didn't want them to see me as vulnerable and taking advantage of me. My dad never came for me and it made me hate him because he was never there to do what he was supposed to do as a man and part of that was to support and protect us. But he wasn't there to protect my mom from what happened and he was never there for _me. _My dad never taught me how a man is supposed to treat a woman or how a woman is supposed to be loved by a man and so I had to learn everything by myself. After I turned sixteen, I had to support myself in everything I did. I tried to blend in with whatever the crowd was so that I could get food for the night and clothes to last me for as long as I could make it last and so my sleeping pattern became worse."

"Sometimes I couldn't sleep because I was afraid that someone would do something to me if they found me." Continued Ruth. "I became a light sleeper, trying to pick up on every sound that I could to avoid something bad happening to me and unfortunately, it became a bad habit. Nowadays, I don't sleep for days at a time, simply because I just can't fall asleep."

"Is all of this the reason why you don't want people helping you?" Asked Roman.

Ruth thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess it is. I always had to do everything myself because nobody wanted to help. I had to learn how to be independent and to rely on myself. Roman, I was the only person that I could rely on to get things done for myself. But nothing could change the fact that at the end of the day, I was still alone in this world and that I had nobody. One day, an elderly man that I met told me something that stayed with me and that was: _Adapt or perish. _So I became better at hiding my feelings because any sign of emotion meant that you were weak and the weak always got taken out. I wanted to live but that meant that I had to fight and adapt. Everything I was good at, I became better at it. And once I became better, I imrpoved to tried to be better at those things than everybody else I met. I started carrying knives so that I could have something to defend myself with if something ever happened because I couldn't forget what happened to my mother. There were times when I had nightmares and it scared me out of my mind."

When the rain started pouring, everything became quiet again until Roman turned to look back at Ruth. He looked at her and saw tears starting to stream down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" He asked her quietly.

"I'm tired of living this life." She replied barely above a whisper. "I'm tired of always having to fight for something and feeling as if it gets me nowhere. It may seem like nothing, but when you're the one living this lifestyle, after a while, you forget what it's like to have a normal life. This lifestyle becomes the normal for you and you get used to it as if its a way of life for you. But it's humbled me because I know what's like to have something and then have it taken away from you and be left with absolutely _nothing._"

She tried to get herself together, but couldn't stop the tears from falling. "It's just heartache after heartache, and struggle after struggle and for what? If it wasn't for you, I'd probably still be homeless and I don't know where the hell I'd be right now. Roman, I want the fairytale life of coming from nothing and getting everything and to be happy and I feel like I can't have that no matter how hard I try and I don't know what else to do. I don't know how much longer I can keep going before I have to say that enough is enough. My body can't physically keep up anymore."

Roman just held her tightly and allowed her to cry in his arms. For the first time since the day that they met, Ruth was finally breaking down. She was letting all of those pent up feelings go and she showed a vulnerable side to Roman. He saw the pain in her eyes and now understood the look in her eyes while she put on a smile everyday for people. Roman finally understood why she was the way that she was and how she got to where she is now. Ruth has been through more in her life than he ever has or could ever imagine.


	7. Chapter 7

**I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars or Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. **

**Thank you to justkimmy for reviewing :) **

_**Something Deeper **_

A few days went by with Roman not seeing Ruth come out of her room, only to eat and to sit out on the porch. It wasn't until that following weekend, that she finally decided that she wanted to do something.

"You loved your job." Said Anna to Ruth as they all got ready for dinner. "What happened to it?"

Ruth shrugged. "They said that they couldn't afford someone who physically may not be able to handle it. It's whatever, I'll find something else."

"You're very optimistic about it." Said Roman as he walked into the kitchen.

Ruth felt as if her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. The way he smiled and winked at her when he leaned against the wall and putting his hands in his pockets, made her go weak in the knees and she mentally slapped her self after realizing that she felt as if she was turning into goo. "You can't be negative about _everything _that goes wrong. Gotta be optimistic about something in life."

"Something to look forward to." Said Roman with a smile.

She smiled at him. "I'll find something else. I promise."

"Don't worry about it." He replied. "Take as much time as you need."

Anna then shooed them away to finish getting ready for dinner and the guests that were arriving. The guests were going to be Anna's two kids who Ruth has known since she was born. But after she got seperated from them years ago, she hasn't seen or heard from them since. Her daughter was the same age as Ruth, while her son was about two years older.

When Ruth and Roman were both finally ready, they both got downstairs just in time, as the doorbell rang. When Roman opened the door, Anna exclaimed in excitement as she saw her two kids. Her daughter was named Megan and looked like a younger version of her mother, except she was a bit taller. Long blonde hair, blue eyes and a white sundress. Roman gave a small smile as she saw the woman with light freckles on her cheeks and shook her hand followed by her older brother named Derek. His hair was a darker blonde than his sisters, but his eyes were identical to hers.

After all getting to know each other a bit, they all sat down for dinner and Ruth automatically sat next to Roman. He was wearing his normal clothes which she liked because he got to more of his normal self when he did. Ruth was wearing a beige sundress and her hair was pulled back into a neat, low pony tail which Roman liked because it showed a different side to her that one doesn't get to see very often.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Asked Derek, pulling her aside when dinner was over. "Romantically, I mean."

Ruth thought for a moment and shook her head. "No, I am very single. Why?"

He gave her a small smile. "I was wondering if you would like to catch up a little bit more and maybe hang out sometime. See where it goes."

She thought for a moment and caught sight of Roman, in the corner of her eye. When she tried to play cool with Derek, she looked around and saw Roman turn his attention somewhere else and leave and she felt a sadness there with confusion at the same time because she didn't understand why he had the look on his face that he had. It was a look of sadness, but at the same time one that she couldn't really make out. Ruth cleared her throat and looked up at Derek.

"Do you think it'll work?" She asked quietly.

Derek shrugged. "We'll just have to see."

"We'll see." Repeated Ruth as she walked away quietly. She walked upstairs and saw Roman walking around until he went into his room. "Roman?"

He turned around and saw Ruth standing by the door. Roman walked up to her and stared into her soft grey eyes. "When are you going to go out with him?"

Her face softened as he looked down. "I didn't tell him that I would, you know. I stand in front of him and I don't feel anything. Nothing is there when we look at each other. Besides, we haven't seen each other in thirteen years. What are we going to have in common now that we're all grown up when we barely had anything in common when we were little?"

"Sometimes it's a good thing to have someone who's the opposite." Said Roman. "Besides, a lot of people around here don't always marry for love. They marry because of wealth and title. Another goal for a lot of the women is to marry young. And just because you don't feel anything for him now, doesn't mean that you won't feel anything later on."

Ruth looked up at Roman until his eyes finally locked with hers. "That's the difference between me and them. I may not end up marrying young because I'm already twenty-five, but when I do, I want it to be for love. I want to find my prince charming and fall in love and have that feeling of knowing that he's who I'm meant to be with for the rest of my life. Forget the money and forget the title that comes with the guy, Roman. I want the fairytale of being in love, happy and healthy. I'm not going to force someone to fall for me just so that I can have that."

"What if someone already fell for you without realizing it?" Asked Roman. "Without knowing that it would happen...unexpectedly."

Ruth grabbed his face with her hands. "Then I'd like to know who he is."

Roman thought for a moment as his hands rested on her waist. Right as he was about to speak, someone cleared their throat and they pulled away from each other to see Megan standing behind them and smiled as she looked at them.

"I won't tell anyone." She said. "I just wanted to let you two know that we were going to head out now. But thank you for letting us come by and spend time with our mother. We've missed her a lot."

After making sure Megan and Derek left safely, Ruth and Roman helped to clean up before getting ready for the night. Ruth said her goodnights to everyone and quickly went upstairs, leaving Roman alone with Anna.

"I think you already found her." She said to Roman. He looked at her confused, wondering what she meant. "That special one. You already found her, Roman. You just have to open your eyes and see it. I knew from the very first day that it would be her. Don't ask me who I'm talking about because you already know who it is."

Roman went upstairs and went to Ruth's room. He stood at her doorway without saying anything. He enjoyed the view as she looked back at him and let his gaze linger on her.

"Just so you know..." She started out saying. "...Nothing will ever happen between Derek and I. Trust me when I say, that it's a fact."

"What can I do to make you stay as long as possible?" Roman asked quietly.

Ruth looked up at him and smiled. "Well, I ain't making it that easy for you. Sure you're not tired of me yet?"

He smiled that smile of his that Ruth liked and thought she would melt right there in front of him. "I actually like having you around."

"Goodnight, Roman." She told him as she waived her fingers at him.

Roman chuckled and walked backwards away from her room. "Goodnight, Sleeping Beauty."


	8. Chapter 8

**I do NOT own WWE, NXT, or any of the Superstars or Divas from either roster that may appear in this story.**

**Thank you to Reigns'Sweetheart and Jessie for reviewing :) **

_**Here By Me **_

Roman, along with Ruth, Dean and Seth went to another dance by this time, Ruth had already been making herself known because she was always with Roman and Dean. She made her way into the dance with a red ballroom gown, with red lips, and her long black hair in curls, cascading down her back.

Her look was different, as she wasn't the normal blonde hair, blue eyed rich girl that walked around. Ruth didn't come from money like a lot of them and her current situation wasn't considered normal. The dresses that she had been wearing to these dances were all borrowed but she somehow managed to make them look flawless. Men stared as she confidently walked by them with her head held high and women felt some type of way knowing that she got the attention of one of the most eligible and wealthiest bachelors in the town. Ruth didn't realize how important that was in Roman's world and wasn't sure that she really cared about having that kind of power.

Seth went up to her while Roman went to talk to one of his friends and started a conversation wtih Ruth. "When are you leaving?"

She looked at the two toned guy that was standing next to her with a drink in his hand. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll be the first one and probably the only one to be glad that I left."

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked.

Ruth scoffed. "Seth, you don't like me. Why do you expect for me to tell you anything?"

"Because I don't want you taking advantage of my brother." He replied.

"Jeez, if I was taking advantage of him, I thought I'd do a better job at it, don't you think, Seth?" He looked at her before lookin around again at the people there as they passed by, talked and had a good time with each other.

She continued to try to get her point across. "Look, I understand that you care about him and I don't blame you for wanting to make sure that he doesn't get hurt. I respect that, Seth. But I'm not here to take advantage of Roman. That was never my intentions and it still isn't. I...I've learned the sounds of his footsteps to the point where I can hear it in my sleep. I've come to learn the sound of his voice and find it soothing. The light in his eyes when he's happy and the pain in them when he's sad and hurting. The bone structure of his face and the way his hands and arms feel when he gives me a hug. If I was truly taking advantage of someone, I wouldn't care to learn. I wouldn't allow myself to feel the way that I do when I'm with him, let alone anything at all. This image that you have of me, Seth...it's what you _think _of me. Not what you know because clearly, you haven't taken the time out to get to know me. The real me."

"Look around you, Ruth." Said Seth after she was done. "You don't belong in our world. Where do you come from that makes you think that it's okay for people like you to mingle with people like us? At least the ones that married into money came from something. I see it in your eyes that you want Roman and it kills you to know that he doesn't see it and it kills you, wondering if he could ever feel the same way about you. But do you think he's going to settle for someone less than what he deserves?"

"Seth!" Yelled a deep voice from behind them. When they both looked back, Roman and Dean were standing behind them and with a surprised look on their face. But Roman on the other hand, was more than just surprised. He looked upset and is if he couldn't believe whatever it is that he heard. "Just stop it already, Seth!"

Ruth walked away before Roman could say anything to her, leaving Seth alone with them. They saw when she quickly got herself together and went back to try to mingle with everyone there.

"Someone needs to tell her the truth." Seth told them. "It obviously isn't going to be Roman. Ruth isn't Cinderella and you are not Prince Charming. This isn't a fairy tale, this is reality. Open your eyes and see that there are women out here who are actually worth your time. Not someone who doesn't belong. How many times does that have to be said until you finally get it, Roman?"

Roman looked down at his drink and then looked up to look at Dean and Seth. "Then I guess you're going to have to keep saying it. As much as I understand what you're trying to say and why, I really do... but my feelings don't. My feelings tell me to go after Ruth. Not anybody else. So what if she doesn't have money or a title. Ruth means something to _me_. She's _my _preference. She may not be yours but she's definitely mine."

He walked away and met up with Ruth who was outside, standing on the balcony. "Mind if I join?"

She looked up to see him standing behind her and smiled as she nodded. "I just needed some fresh air, is all."

"I'm sorry about the whole Seth thing." He told her quietly when he stood next to her.

Ruth looked down and then back out again into the view that was in front of them. "I understand why. Seth wants to make sure that you're happy and that you don't get hurt."

"I thought you didn't care about the negative things that others say or think about you, though." Said Roman.

Ruth made a face and smiled. "I don't. But that doesn't mean that you have to try to hurt me just because you think you can throw any type of word my way as if it won't hold any meaning because you think I won't care. I have feelings too. I'm not a robot, you know."

"Don't listen to him." Said Roman. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Will I ever fit in though?" Ruth asked.

Roman thought for a moment as he looked into the night sky. "I think you will though. It won't happen over night, but you may. I'm not just saying that to make you smile, by the way. I truly think that."

Ruth smiled anyways and looked up at him. "I feel like there's another reason for that though. I can see it in your eyes that there's something more."

He smiled back at her. "I like you. A lot. That night that Megan and Derek came over for dinner and I asked you what if someone has already fallen for you and you said that you wanted to know who he was...I was talking about me."

Ruth's breath caught in her throat as her heart started beating faster to the point where she felt it in her throat. "You were?"

Roman nodded. "That's part of why I don't want you to leave and to take your time...a lot of time actually in finding another job. I like how you don't care about what others think and say about you. You're content with being the way that you are and I wouldn't have you any other way, Ruth. Stubborn at times, but intelligent and caring. I like hearing your voice, especially when I can't sleep. I think about you all the time and I want to be wtih you. Ruth, you like me for me and the whole money thing doesn't even phase you, it's something you don't care about. You don't care about any of that. I don't want some rich girl. I prefer you. Forget what Seth says about you not fitting in and you not being Cinderella. You were born to stand out babygirl and you're doing a damn good at it. For once, there's someone around here who's different."

He turned around to walk away until Ruth reached out for him and got him to stop and look at her. This was the closet that they stood in front of each other and Roman's hand stroked her cheek.

"Do _you _care about what others think?" Asked Ruth. "Because I look at you and I think about how I've never fallen for someone as fast and as hard as I've fallen for you. Hell, I've never even fallen in love with someone because it never went long enough for my feelings to get that far. I never thought that I would ever get the attention of someone like you, Roman because I always thought that I never deserved it. But then I realized that you get the love that you think you deserve. I know what I deserve but I also know what I want and you're the one I want. So please...do you care about what others think because if you do, then I can't do this. We can't further this..._us. _And you know that."

Before Roman could say anything, he leaned down and gave her a kiss. Responding to the kiss, it became deeper and went on longer. Roman pulled back slightly and looked as he his nose touched hers.

"I don't care." He told her softly. "Let everybody think and say what they want. As long as I got you right here by me, I'll be fine. I want to further us. I wanna see where it goes."

Ruth looked up at him and allowed him to see the smile in her eyes before kissing him again. He felt her smile against his lips and returned it with a smile of his own.

Later that night, Ruth was in her room when she felt as if someone was by the door. She slowed down her movements and listened more closely until she recognized the heavy footsteps of Roman making his way to her room. When she turned around, he had just finished leaning against the door frame to her room and smiled at her.

"So, what are we exactly?" Asked Ruth as he walked up to her.

He thought for a moment. "What people around here would like to call, 'courting'. But I think it's safe to say that we're in a relationship. And yes, the whole going out on dates, kissing and holding hands type of relationship and this time, I'll be the committed one."

Ruth smiled up at him. "No acting like you're single?"

"No." Said Roman as he shook his head. "I'll be committed to you. I don't want to be single."

"Good." She whispered softly as they shared a kiss. Ruth was beginning to think that she may have found her knight in shining armor. Her prince charming and even though it's unexpected, she couldn't be any happier.


End file.
